Last week, we opened our doors for the first time to the public. I can't think of a better way to kick-off our event venue being open than with a licensed City Farmhouse Pop-Up Fair. We had vendors travel from around the country to sell one-of-a-kind pieces.

Thursday night started off with a super fun Preview Party night. Shoppers came for the "First-of-the-Fair" to be able to shop before the doors opened to general admission ticket holders on Friday and Saturday. The Venue was filled with antiques and vintage home furnishings, live music, delicious food and drinks. We truly had a party going on inside The Venue, and you could feel the energy and excitement from all the Preview Party patrons. The sunset that night overlooking the group tent was absolutely stunning. As music filled the air, shoppers were interacting with the vendors, discussing the stories behind the pieces they had brought with them.

The doors opened early Friday morning, and we had people that had driven from Nashville waiting in line at 8:00 a.m. to get inside! They said they were such huge fans of the original City Farmhouse Pop-Up Fair in Franklin, Tennessee that they weren't going to miss this one. Josh and I met shoppers from Kentucky, Arkansas, Middle Tennessee, Memphis and of course, from all over West Tennessee. The weather was hot, but the shoppers didn't mind! They had access to some of the best merchandise, and I loved seeing people tag us on Facebook and Instagram with all of their finds. We had live music going throughout the day, food trucks lining our grassy lawn, and shoppers got a sneak peek of Kim Leggett's new book-City Farmhouse Style-while they were here. Kim and Jason Parker Counce treated shoppers to a hands-on workshop using merchandise from the booths on how to create farmhouse style decor in the home. It was such a treat to get Kim and Jason's take on how to take purchases from the Fair and create the look both of them are known for in the antiques industry.

Saturday morning, as the sun was rising, we were already unlocking the venue for vendors to come back in. Before the doors opened, the vendors were busy bringing in "new" merchandise to restock their booths. (This was one of my favorite things to watch. I have always been a shopper at The City Farmhouse Pop-Up Fair, so to see it from a behind-the-scenes perspective was so much fun).

Saturday was much like Friday, in that people were lined up at the door waiting to get in when the doors opened. We ran 2 shuttle buses from downtown Medina, so shoppers could take advantage of Medina's historic downtown Main Street before and after they shopped The City Farmhouse Pop-Up Fair. We had more live music, more food trucks, and of course, more shopping!

The Fair was a huge hit, both with shoppers and vendors. So many people commented on how nice everyone in West Tennessee is! Thanks to the super talented Elizabeth Looney Scott, we have some amazing images that captured the weekend so well. Make sure to check out her portfolio of work at: www.ElizabethLooney.com // Facebook: Elizabeth Looney Photography // Instagram: @lifestyleinfocus

8 days to Christmas-are y’all getting excited like my house is?!
.
We have some family Christmas 🎄 traditions that we look forward to each year.
.
We love attending the candlelight service at church on Christmas Eve. There’s something magical about singing hymns with just the glow of 🕯 surrounding you. As soon as we leave church, we eat Chinese-just like on #thechristmasstory
.
We also decided early on in our marriage not to give each other gifts on Christmas. Honestly, we tend to do so many house projects, we laugh and say our Christmas gifts are usually new flooring, new paint jobs or some other renovation project🤣
.
Speaking of gifts, when our kids were born we told Santa 🎅🏻 that he only needed to bring them 3 🎁 each. They think long and hard on what they want their three to be each year✨
.
This year, I’m excited to try a new gift exchange with my family. All the adults are bringing one “as seen on TV” gift, and we are playing a game to see who gets each gift!
.
Do you have a holiday tradition you look forward to each year? Drop your favorite below👇🏻

I’m dreaming of blue skies and the 🌊 today.
.
A few weeks ago, I conquered my fear of being out on a boat in the ocean to go deep-sea fishing 🐠 I also touched a fish for probably the first time in my life😜
.
I grew up fishing with my parents on Lake Graham, but I never baited my own hook or touched a fish when I caught one.
.
Looking back on this little 6-hour trip we took, if I had said “no” because I was scared, I would have missed seeing sea creatures I’d never seen before. I would have missed watching my daughter bait her own hook! I would have missed one of the best days out on the ocean with my family as we reeled in some pretty amazing fish 🎣 .
.
Saying “yes” even when we are scared can allow us to experience moments we otherwise would miss.
.
Dale Carnegie said, “If you want to conquer fear, don’t sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” Pretty good advice, if you ask me✨ #livethelittlethings #lifeofadventure

These two will leave our venue tonight as Mr. and Mrs.💕
.
Happy wedding day to Emily and John✨ 📷: @kristajoyphotography